


No Sleep For Boo Berries

by Mitsuboshi



Category: THE iDOLM@STER
Genre: Comedy, F/F, Fluff, Halloween, Romance, Rosenberg Alptraum, Semi-established relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-07
Updated: 2020-10-07
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:14:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26867215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mitsuboshi/pseuds/Mitsuboshi
Summary: Finding yourself in a desolate land, what lies beyond the stream of lights stretching out from the edge of forever?Or:When you travel to a small no-name city in the middle of nowhere, USA to perform at a Halloween Festival, what's the first thing you do? Accompany your spooky girlfriend to the store to buy some Boo Berry cereal, of course. And trying your best to not be a gay disaster along the way.
Relationships: Kanzaki Ranko/Shirasaka Koume
Kudos: 3





	No Sleep For Boo Berries

**Author's Note:**

> So there I was at the store, buying Boo Berry, and all of a sudden I was given inspiration for writing this specific fic. I've always been meaning to write more UmeRan, and other things lately have also given me more inspiration. I'll be diving this fic into a few chapters, but hopefully you won't wait long for me to complete it. This fic makes reference to events that happen in the Cinderella Girls Nomake 21, and takes place after another UmeRan fic I wrote prior, so you may want to read that if you want fuller context: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23352040
> 
> Overall, I hope this fic at least makes you consider this pairing and their potential. Enjoy!

There were many things a young maiden such a Ranko had accomplished. Things that legions of girls her age could only dream of. One such feat was becoming an idol with a fearsome reputation, but even with such a title, she could now claim to have spread her wings, and reach across new, foreign realms. And once again, beyond her native land, the fallen angel would descend upon the world's stage to give a grand performance. 

...That was her vision at least, but her travels didn't bring her to some distant, mystic realm. Just California, USA. And not in a notorious city like Los Angeles or San Francisco. It was distant alright, but it didn't carry an ounce of mystique. The town she found her next job in felt... desolate. Nothing but rolling brown hills and windmills dominating the horizon. Some of these hills gave rise to clusters of houses and apartments, with several shopping centers nearby along the vast stretch of freeway. 

Even as she looked out her hotel window, there weren't many fascinating sights, no tall buildings that reached high into the heavens. The only thing that caught her interest were the speeding cars along the freeway, bound for some unknown destination. Have they traveled far? Venturing out to some exciting getaway? They were going anywhere but here, that's for sure. It had only been an hour since arriving at this place, but even with her extravagant imagination, Ranko couldn't conjure up many means to entertain herself.

“Interesting....”

Hearing the soft voice behind her, Ranko broke her gaze from the freeway. Looking to the person whom the voice belonged to, a small smile curled on her lips. Although she found herself in this mundane realm, at least she had a close companion to accompany her. 

Koume stood by one of the beds, her eye glancing down to her cellphone. Whatever she was looking at must have been important, as she had a focused expression on her face. At least it appeared that her friend did not fall spell to the boredom plaguing her divine form. Well, not like they would be here for long anyway.

They were to take part in a local Halloween music festival, which supposedly brought in acts from all across the globe. Ranko had never heard of such a festival, but it appeared that the organizers had indeed heard of Rosenberg Alptraum. They were scheduled to be the opening act tomorrow night, paving the way for otherworldly spirits to usher in their chorus, heralding the coming of All Hallow’s Eve. 

Perhaps it was destiny that they summoned both of them to this lonely spot on Earth. They could have only summoned her, leaving the fallen angel to brave this isolated realm with only her producer to provide support. But the god of fortune casted a favorable hand, allowing her most cherished partner to stand with her. It didn't change the realities of their location, but it still provided much solace.

“Hehehe...” Ranko chuckled, taking on her bold persona as the ruler of darkness. “What has captured your all-seeing eye, Koume?”

“I think I found what I was looking for....” Koume replied, her voice trailing off. The petite girl fell silent as she continued to fiddle with her phone. Once she aquired the knowledge she sought, she put down the device and looked at Ranko with much determination.

“Ranko-chan... do you want to go out with me tonight?”

Ranko’s persona instantly crumbled like sand. “HAAAA!??? K-Koume-chan! What’s with t-that all of a sudden!? W-we shouldn’t- you know, be like... that b-before our live....”

She ended her speech with a small whine, fidgeting her fingers while Koume just stood there incredibly confused. “Hmm...? Are you okay, Ranko-chan? I was just going to walk to this big store close by. Did you want to come with me?”

“O-oh...” the alarmed girl started to calm down, understanding her true intent. “You mean... to escort you on your incursion into a mighty fortress....” 

“Something like that, yeah.” Koume said. “You sure you’re alright...?”

“Y-yes, I’m fine!” Ranko insisted, despite her flustered face betraying her words.

Koume cocked her head, wondering what Ranko’s sudden behavior was all about. But like an unfortunate murder victim, the realization struck the horror enthusiast like an axe to the head. “Ah...! I-I think I get it... you thought I meant-”

Immediately before she could finish, Ranko brought forth an outstretched hand, as if attempting to ward off a demon. “DON’T SAY IT!” 

Silence awkwardly hung over them as Ranko pouted. Being together in a foreign land wasn't exactly a foolproof blessing. Any time spent with the spooky girl was a treasure to cherish. But although they had been friends for some time now, it wasn’t until recently that they had both signed a most sacred contract. The reality of their blossoming relationship offered great comfort, while also providing a source of embarrassed overreactions to even the slightest hint of intimacy. 

“A-anyway... did you still want to come with me?” Koume asked again. “I don’t think I'll take long.”

Clearing her throat, Ranko regained composure. “Why, of course! On such a splendid evening, I'd be happy to travel alongside my most trusted companion!”

“Yay!” Koume squeaked happily. ”I'll let producer know where we're going. They're still attending that meeting with the organizers, I think.”

Ranko nodded as her friend began typing out a message. While Koume was busy with her phone, she turned away and let out a quiet sigh. “ _Keep it together... keep it together..._ ” a mantra she recited internally to keep her emotions in check. “ _Strive to master the chaotic flames blazing in your heart!”_

“Okay... I got the directions,” Koume grabbed her bag from one of the chairs, and began inspecting the contents. “Just let me see if I have everything....”

“Fret not!” Ranko assured her, snatching her own bag with a swift motion before striking a sharp pose. “There is no need to make haste against the sands of time! Ensure that you are equipped with the tools you need to-! Need to....” The dramatic prose got cut short, her larger-than-life image shrinking back to an ordinary girl with a simple question. “Um... what do you plan on buying?”

Koume paused from counting the US currency in her wallet, happily bringing up an image on her phone to show her eccentric friend. “This!”

Moving closer for a better look, Ranko caught sight of a cartoonish ghost on a blue cereal box. She studied the name of the item for a moment, unsure if she could pronounce the English title properly. “Boo Berry...?”

“That's it,” Koume said with a nod. “It's a special cereal they sell here around Halloween season. Boo Berry is what I'm after the most, but there's other monster cereals too, like Frankenberry and Count Chocula....”

“ _There's... other monster cereals?_ ” Was Ranko’s first thought. It felt odd, yet strangely fitting that her eerie companion’s first goal after coming here was to buy some Halloween cereal. However, seeing that eager smile on her face flooded Ranko’s heart with a comforting happiness. 

“I see...” she said softly. “So... it's like we're hunting for ghosts, right?”

Upon hearing the comparison, Koume’s face lit up. “Wah! It's exactly like that, Ranko-chan! You're starting to get it....” 

They both started to giggle at the silly idea. Yet for Ranko, if this is what Koume desired, then why wouldn't she accompany her on this quest? It offered both of them freedom from staying in their hotel room for the rest of the night. Besides, at least the monsters they were looking for were cute instead of scary.

Now that her money was in order, Koume dropped her wallet into her bag, and in exchange pulled out the hotel keycard. “Are you ready to go, Ranko-chan?” She asked, already at the entrance.

Once again brimming with the energy only she could manifest, Ranko gave a bombastic response. “Indeed! Let us scale down this tall castle and head yonder to the den of spirits!” To complete her proclamation, she craned her head back and let out a mighty laugh. AHAHAHAHA--!” 

“Ah, Ranko-chan. Shhhhh!” 

The proud fallen angel snapped her head back to see Koume had already opened the door, a finger pressed against her mouth to signal silence. Remembering exactly where they were, Ranko immediately covered her mouth, letting out a muted, panicked squeak. “S-sorry...”

Koume merely reacted with a soft giggle. “That’s so like you, Ranko-chan... ”

Feeling her heart skip a beat, Ranko shook her head and walked out of the room. Once she closed the door, she adjusted her bag and looked towards her friend nonchalantly. “So... ready?”

“Ready,” Koume confirmed. 

“Then lead the way!”

With a happy nod, the ghostly girl walked towards the elevator while Ranko followed behind her. She did her best to dispel the embarrassing moments she conjured not too long ago, and instead focus on what was to come: a nice shopping experience with the one she adored. At least no other calamity would arise from such a trivial trip.

Right?


End file.
